Two Miracles

An email to a friend:

Glad to hear from you and Happy Happy Happy, if I may be redundant
I had a big scare with Zora two days ago. The landlord put cows and calves in the pasture. I walk around them, at first they shied away at our approach and I have a leash to keep her controlled. But if they are a ways away I let Zora free. Sunset Monday I thought they were far enough off, but one curious calf ran over before I could restrain Zora. I've had the girl for almost fifteen years now and she hardly ever runs any more, but the sight of moving livestock triggers her instincts to herd. She started chasing the calf and its Momma cow came running at a charge. She clobbered Zora with front and rear hooves, the poor girl lay curled on the ground in tremors. I carried her inside and put her on her pillow, I thought she was a goner for sure but I offered soft food (hot dogs) and she demonstrated spirit.
Yesterday Zora was stiff and slower than usual, but active. This morning she seems hardly worse at all.
A miracle.
And I don't even do Christmas.
Also, just for sheer beauty, let me tell you about my Holiday tree:
Back in September I was going to work at that Orland Farmstead Creamery. There is a stand of Valley Oaks the one-lane road goes through and sometimes I stopped there the take a leak. This Fall was what the ecologists call a 'mast' season, which means that the oaks were putting out tons of acorns--I collected a few. I planted one in a ceramic pot and waited, nothing happened, it seemed. But after a month I scratched a little in the soil and saw a radicle (embryonic root) emerging from the pointy tip so I kept watering it. The first green appeared in early November along a tiny crack in the acorn body. Gradually the crack got bigger, other ones formed that splintered the end and the green mass has crept into the open. It is the slowest process I have ever observed, I wish I had a time-lapse camera setup. All of the growth happens at night, it seems, just a little larger each day and this morning it had tiny leaves on it--welcome to the World!
That makes two miracles
Happy Happy Happy, if I may be even more redundant